By Alonso Contreras
Typical summer night in Orlando, heat, humidity, and rain, but what it was not expected was the grass on the field, which was in bad conditions.
On Monday, they started to lay the grass, finishing on Wednesday, but since last week they started to move the sand and level the ground.
Rodrigo Schlegel accumulated his fifth yellow card in the last game and was suspended for today’s game.
First Half
3′ Great play by Mulraney who started the wall with Pereyra and it was him who got inside the box and with a scissors kick connected to the ball that crashed into the Houston defender.
Orlando continued to dominate with passes from the defensive line, looking for Araujo, who has been making good switches and long passes.
7′ Good shot from outside the box by a Houston player, where the goalkeeper Pedro Gallese caught the ball without problems, after a few seconds Orlando responded with a long pass from Mauricio to Mulraney, who was too close to the goalkeeper and couldn’t finish comfortably.
12′ Orlando wasted an opportunity from the rival’s mistake near the box where 4 Orlando players attacked against 2 Houston players.
Facundo Torres was very good at times going down to recover the ball.
25′ Great three-finger pass from Mauricio to Facundo who controls and crosses to Kara where the Austrian sent the ball to open the score at the Exploria Stadium 1-0.
Orlando City was looking for something new strategically, playing the ball on the ground with the defenders but in the midfield looking for the long pass that would confuse the opponent.
45′ The referee called for a penalty kick but then the VAR sent for a review and it was a clear handball outside the box in the left corner.
Kara took the free-kick and Houston goalkeeper Clark saved it to prevent Orlando City’s second goal.
The first half was very physical for the visiting team.
The whole Orlando City team was very focused, a good first half for the Lions. 1-0
Second Half
Houston came out more aggressively looking for the equalizer and in the 47th minute a dangerous cross into the box.
A great attacked led by Kara looking for Facundo and Facundo passes to Urso who shoots into the goal creating a corner kick.
A great combination by Dynamo in the Orlando area where Rodriguez shot close to the far post guarded by Pedro Gallese.
Mauricio Pereyra hits a strong left-footed shot after a bad header by the Houston defender from Moutinho’s cross, it looks like it touched Kara before going into the net. What do you think?
A minute after the second goal, while all the fans were celebrating still, Houston scored by Paraguayan forward Sebastian Ferreira, with a great header and put the ball at the bottom of the right post of Gallese who could not do anything even though he stretched trying to reached the ball to avoid the goal. 2-1.
GK Gallese received a yellow card after coming out of his goal to prevent the equalizer, the Orlando City keeper sliced and fouled the Houston striker.
Darwin Quintero gave Orlando City a fright with a free kick that hit the post.
Gallese made an impressive save! A game without those saves is a game without Gallese.
Again! Pedro Gallese in the last minute of the match, made another save.
Orlando City wins 2-1 against Houston. The next match is this Friday 24th vs FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.
Orlando City SC is at 4th place of Eastern Conference.